Combined cigarette package and waste storage receptacle apparatus

ABSTRACT

A conventional cigarette pack includes a thin pouch of heat-resistant flexible material disposed therein. The pouch has a recloseable top opening that is sized to permit a cigarette butt to be placed in the pouch following withdrawal of a cigarette from the pack. The pouch expands to fill the space in the pack created when each successive cigarette is withdrawn to be smoked. When the entire contents of the pack are consumed by the smoker, the pack and/or the pouch filled with butts can responsibly be disposed of to avoid adverse environmental impact.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to cigarette packaging and more specifically, to a novel means and method for collecting and disposing of cigarette butts to avoid soiling the environment.

A “cigarette butt” is defined in Webster's Online Dictionary (http://www.webster-dictionary.org/definition/cigarette%20butt) as “the small part of the cigarette that is left after smoking it.” Frequently cigarette butts are disposed of merely by being thrown or tossed on the ground only to end up soiling the environment. To avoid this adverse impact to the environment, various prior art devices have been proposed. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,992,621 (Grant et al) discloses a cigarette box with partitioned compartments for individual cigarettes. The compartments are lined with silver foil. After smoking an individual cigarette withdrawn from a particular compartment, the smoker then places the cigarette butt in that compartment. There is nothing in this prior patented device however to prevents the user from emptying the contents of the box on the ground when the user is so disposed. Accordingly, a need exists for an improved method and means for capturing or collecting cigarette butts within and using the smoker's original cigarette packaging thereby encouraging the smoker to responsibly dispose of same in a way that does not do harm to the environment. Such a method and means are achieved by the present invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the present invention, a conventional cigarette pack includes a thin pouch of heat-resistant flexible material disposed therein between the rows of cigarettes and one of the sidewalls of the pack, or in a corner of the package. The pouch has a recloseable top opening that is sized to permit a cigarette butt easily to be placed in the pouch following withdrawal of successive cigarettes from the pack. The pouch expands to fill the space in the pack created when each successive cigarette is withdrawn to be smoked. When the entire contents of the pack are consumed by the smoker, the pack and the pouch filled with butts can be responsibly disposed above to avoid adverse environmental impact.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the specification proceeds, and the novel features of the invention will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be better understood and the above object as well as objects other than those set forth above will become more apparent after a study of the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front view in elevation of the disposable cigarette butt pouch according to the invention.

FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the disposable pouch shown in FIG. 1 with the recloseable top in an open condition.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the pouch of FIGS. 1 and 2 combined inside and with a conventional cigarette pack of the “flip-top” variety and wherein some of the cigarettes have already been withdrawn and smoked and their corresponding butts have been placed inside the pouch.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the pouch of FIGS. 1 and 2 combined inside and with a conventional cigarette pack of the “soft-pak” variety and wherein some of the cigarettes have already been withdrawn and smoked and their corresponding butts have been placed inside the pouch.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view schematically showing how cigarette butts are placed into the pouch of FIGS. 1 and 2 through the pouch's top recloseable opening in accordance with the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

With reference to the drawings, preferred embodiments of my invention will now be described in detail, it being understood that the foregoing detailed description is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art and therefore, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described. Accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents falling within the broad scope of the subject matter described herein may be resorted to in carrying out the present invention.

In accordance with the broadest aspect of the present invention, a cigarette butt collection means in the form of a disposable pouch or bag generally represented by reference numeral 10 is pre-packaged and included in each conventional cigarette pack in juxtaposed relation to the cigarettes contained therein when the packages are filled at the cigarette factory. Thus, turning to FIGS. 1-5, a preferred embodiment of pouch 10 of generally rectangular shape is suitably sized and configured to fit inside a conventional cigarette package substantially as depicted.

Pouch 10 comprises a front wall 12, an opposed rear wall 14, a left side wall 16, an opposed right side wall 18, a bottom wall 20 and an opposed top wall 22. Located on top wall 22 near the intersection of the latter and right side wall 18 and generally in alignment with right side wall 18 substantially as depicted is an upstanding hollow neck extension, generally represented by reference numeral 24. Hollow neck extension 24, in turn, comprises a front panel 26, an opposed rear panel 28, a left-side fan-foldable side panel 30, an opposed right-side fan-foldable side panel 32, and a top extension 34 suitably attached to opposed rear panel 28. Top extension 34, in turn, comprises a main panel portion 36, and a semi-circular distal end portion 38, substantially as depicted. By the foregoing construction, hollow neck extension 24 defines a recloseable opening for pouch 10 for facilitating depositing cigarette butts in the interior space of pouch 10 (FIG. 5) through the passageway defined by such opening.

More specifically, front panel 26, opposed rear panel 28, left-side fan-foldable side panel 30, and opposed right-side fan-foldable panel 32 define a through passage or opening 40 through which cigarette butts may be passed whereas the fan-foldable character of opposed side wall panels 30, 32 permits selective opening or widening adjustment of this opening 40. A pull-tab 42 suitably is attached to the bottom portion of front panel 26 to facilitate such adjustment. It will be noted that top hollow neck extension 34 has on the underside of its main panel portion 36 and semi-circular distal end portion 38 a layer of tacky material or light adhesive indicated by the stippling in the drawing. As a result of this arrangement, extension 34 defines a “flap member” that can be folded over opening 40 and attached to front panel 26 thereby to temporarily close or seal this opening (FIG. 1). To gain access to opening 40, it merely is necessary to pull semi-circular portion 38 away from front panel 26 of neck extension 24 overcoming the foregoing adhesive attachment therebetween. For this purpose a second pull-tab 44 is provided, substantially as depicted (see FIG. 2).

In accordance with the present invention, pouch 10 can be fabricated of any known suitable relatively thin, fire-retardant and heat-resistant, pliable or flexible material capable of being relatively inexpensively manufactured in quantity given that a single pouch will be placed into each container of fresh cigarettes when the latter are being originally packaged at the cigarette factory. An especially suitable material is a heat-resistant polyethylene thin film and is particularly preferred in carrying out the present invention.

In accordance with the present invention, it is contemplated that a single pouch 10 will be placed in each cigarette package behind or juxtaposed to the various rows of cigarettes 46 also contained therein, or in a corner of the package. By locating hollow neck extension 34 on or proximal to one corner of the pouch, positioning of the pouch 10 with the aforesaid neck extension 34 being located in one corner of a cigarette package is facilitated. Thus, when more and more cigarettes are withdrawn to be consumed from each package, due to the pliable nature of the pouch material, each pouch 10 will be able to expand and fill the volume in the original cigarette package created by the withdrawn cigarettes.

FIG. 3 schematically shows a conventional “cardboard” cigarette package of the conventional “flip-top” type 47 where several cigarettes 46 have been smoked, the butts have been placed in pouch 10, and the pouch is in the ‘open” condition ready to receive another butt. This action is even further semantically depicted in FIG. 5 where the conventional cigarette package has been omitted for the sake of clarity of presentation. In FIG. 5, the discarded cigarette butts are indicated by reference sign 48 whereas the smoker is indicated by reference sign 50. In FIG. 4, there is schematically depicted a conventional cigarette package of the “soft-pak” variety 49 with a corner 51 of the paper package having been torn away to give access to both the cigarettes 46 in the package and pouch 10 also in the package as described aforesaid in accordance with present invention. The designation “responsibly disposed” as used herein means disposing of cigarette butts in such a manner as not to cause inimical harm to or soil the environment.

In summary, a thin disposable pouch made of heat-resistant material will be placed in a typical cigarette package. The pouch will have an opening to accommodate a typical cigarette butt. The opening of the pouch will be recloseable via a flap treated with a tacky adhesive or the like. The theory behind the present invention is that the pouch 10 while contained in the fully packed cigarette container functions as a thin liner inside the package; however, it is made of separable layers of pliable material and is expandable. As the smoker removes the first cigarette from the package, a void is created which can be filled by the expanding pouch to define space for receiving and storing a cigarette butt. With the consumption of each successive cigarette, a larger space or volume inside the pouch and inside the original cigarette pack is created yielding room for receiving and storing still more butts. After the final cigarette in the pack is consumed, the smoker may then be able to “responsibly dispose” of the original cigarette package and/or the pouch inside.

As to the manner of usage and operation of the instant invention, the same is apparent from the above disclosure, and accordingly, no further discussion relative to the manner of usage and operation need be provided.

Thus, while the present invention has been shown in the drawings and fully described above with particularity and detail in connection with what is presently deemed to be the most practical and preferred embodiment(s) of the invention, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that many modifications thereof may be made without departing from the principles and concepts set forth herein, including, but not limited to, variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use.

Hence, the proper scope of the present invention should be determined only by the broadest interpretation of the appended claims so as to encompass all such modifications as well as all relationships equivalent to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification. 

What is claimed as being new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent of the United States is as follows:
 1. A combined cigarette package comprising: multiple cigarettes contained in said package and means for responsibly disposing of the cigarette butts resulting from smoking any of the cigarettes in said multiple.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said means comprises a disposable pouch for receiving and storing said cigarette butts.
 3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said disposable pouch is sized and configured to fit inside said package in juxtaposed proximity to said multiple cigarettes contained in said package.
 4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said disposable pouch is adapted to expand in volume in said package as cigarettes in said multiple are consumed.
 5. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said disposable pouch has a top wall, a front wall, an opposed rear wall, a first side wall and a second opposed sidewall, said disposable pouch further including a recloseable opening in said top wall for receiving cigarette butts therethrough.
 6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said recloseable opening is located on said top wall of said disposable pouch proximal to said first side wall and distal to said second sidewall so as to be located in the corner of said pouch defined by the intersection of said top wall and said first sidewall.
 7. The apparatus claim 5 wherein said recloseable opening comprises a hollow neck portion extending beyond said top wall of said disposable pouch to define a passageway for receiving and storing cigarette butts within the interior space defined by said disposable pouch.
 8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said hollow neck portion terminates distally in a flap member, said flap member being adapted to be folded relative to said neck portion to close said passageway.
 9. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said flap member has a layer of tacky adhesive for removably attaching said flap member to said neck portion.
 10. The apparatus of claim further including a pull-tab attached to said flap member.
 11. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said hollow neck portion has first and second opposed fan-foldable walls for facilitating size-adjustment of said opening defined by said hollow neck extension.
 12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said hollow neck portion includes a pull-tab for activating said fan-foldable walls to adjust the size of said opening defined by said hollow neck extension.
 13. The method of responsibly disposing of cigarette butts comprising the following steps: (a.) providing a disposable pouch adapted to receive and store cigarette butts therein, (b.) placing said disposable pouch in each package of manufactured cigarettes.
 14. The method of claim 13 wherein said step (a.) comprises the step of providing said pouch with a recloseable opening and wherein said step (b.) comprises placing said disposable pouch in a corner of each of said packages of manufactured cigarettes. 